Safety razor



June 6, 1939. J w ASHWORTH 2,161,403

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Sept. 24, 1938 H I INVENTOR. John W. Ashworth ATTORNEY.

Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,161,403 SAFETY RAZOR John W. Ashworth, New York, N. Y. 1 Application September 24, 1938 Serial No. 231,467

, y 4 Claims.

I j This inventionis a safety razor of the general type normally employedfor the use of a single edge blade of some particular make, but consti- "tuted, accordingto the present invention, to permit of the usetherein of any conventional double edged blade in such manner as to expose one edge "at a time. I

As is well known double edged blades made by different manufacturers are provided with openings in their -medial portions, to cooperate with positioning devicesand such openings are of different shape according to the difierent manu- 'fa'cturer. H j i v I The present invention provides for proper positioning of the double edged blade of any manu- 'facturer in a simple and efli'cient manner and in ,such a way as to leave the entire cutting edge of'the blade, gas well as theends of the blade, adjacent the cutting; edge, free and unencumbered, so as to permit more, efiicient shaving of re- ;entr'ant portions of the face; e. g., in dimples,

hollows, etc. 7,: 5 The present invention in its preferred practical forr'n comprises a guard plate and a clamping plate between which two plates the blade is gripped and held in position. The blade is adapt- .ed to betransversely flexed or'bent to place it under resilient pressure and it is positioned in proper cooperative relation with the guard of the guard plate by r neans of positioning lugs which a accuratelyadjust the blade in a direction normal to its cuttingedge. The blade is held in-adjustment 1ongitudinallyofyits cutting edge by '.means of other positioning lugs co-acting with the ends of'the blade remote fromthe cutting edge and inthis way. the cutting, edge, as well as the ends of the blade adjacent thereto, are left unencumbered ior the purposes stated. In a modified' form of the invention, the positioning. of the blade in both directions iswholly accomplished by lugs oi" novel shape as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent fronr'the herein- 46after detailed description and claims; when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. *"Ih accompanying drawing illustrates different "practical embodiments of the invention, but the constructions therein. shown are to be underso "stood'as illustrative only, and not as defining the if-positions 1 .1

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the head of the razor with the clamping plate closed. Figures 3-6 inclusive are views showing the manner in which the plate is held in position.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the positioning 5 lug shownin Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows another modified form of the invention.

Referring first to Figures 1-5, I indicates the guard plate of the razor, the same being provided at its forward edge with an appropriately shaped guard 2. Pivoted at the ends of the guard are brackets 3 0i the clamping plate 4 and said clamping plate is adapted to overlie the guard plate and be locked in closed position by a re- 15 silient clip 5. A handle 6 of any suitable character is secured to the under side of the guard plate.

Mounted on the guard plate and projecting up- I wardly therefrom are positioning lugs I. These lugs are spaced apart and are so shaped and located that they will cooperate with the lug openingsof any conventional double edged blade to fit said openings snugly in a direction transverse of the blade and thus properly position the 25 cutting edge of the blade with respect to the guard 2. In' Figure 1, the blade is shown in dot and dash lines and is indicated at 8. This blade 'is of the old three-opening type. It is provided with end openings 9 and a central opening I 0 which is not used in the razor of this invention.

In the structures of Figures 3-5, the blades here shown have elongated medial openings ll of different shapes, but it will be noted that the lugs 1 are so placed and are of such size that they will fit all of said openings in a way to preclude any appreciable movement of the blade in a direction normal to its cutting edge, although in every case the lugs are spaced from the opposite ends of the openings, so as to permit of longitudinal movement of the blades. This is necessary in order that the lugs will fit all openings in a way to insure proper transverse adjustment of the blade.

The-longitudinal adjustment of the blade is accomplished by means of two independent and additional lugs l2 which are stamped up from or'secured to the guard plate I near the rear edge thereof,i. e., the edge remote from the guard. These lugs are rigid, as are the lugs I, and the spacing between them is equal to the length of the conventional blade, so that when the blade is positionedbetween the lugs I2, it cannot shift longitudinally of its cutting edge. Thus the blade is held against longitudinal shifting by the lugs l2 and against transverse shifting by the lugs 1.

All of these lugs extend in a direction perpendicular to the plate I, so that the blade may simply be dropped over them and when the razor is uncovered the blade will fall out. There are no overhanging portions which will make it difficult to insert or remove the blade.

The guard plate is provided near its rear edge with upstanding posts I3 slightly elevated above the surface of the guard plate and adapted to underlie the blade resting on said plate in proper engagement with the lugs, but in lieu of the two bosses I3, as shown, a single elongated boss extending between them and embodying them may be employed. Furthermore the clamping plate 4 is provided at its hinged edge with a down- Wardly extending flange I4 and the parts are so associated that when the clamping plate is closed, as shown in Figure 2, with the clip 5 in engagement with the guard plate to lock the clamping plate in closed position, the flange I4 Will bear against the blade between the guard 2 and the boss or bosses I3 and cause said blade to be flexed downwardly and held under tension in this condition as will be clear from Figure 2. This holds the blade under tension during the shaving operation and assures a very tight grip on the blade so that it cannot possibly shift or chatter. It has the further advantage inherent in the fact that, when the clamping plate is released and swung into open position, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, the blade will re-act as tension is released'and will jump out .of the razor if the razor is slightly inclined, thus rendering it unnecessary to manually lift out the blade. Thus if the razor is held over a towel, sink or other convenient support and the clamping plate is opened, the blade will eject itself. This constitutes a marked convenience and obviates the necessity of reaching in and lifting out the blade with attendant dangers of the user cutting himself. I

It will be noted that the entire cutting edge of the razor which overlies the guard is free and unobstructed when the razor is in use and inasmuch as there are no positioning lugs at the end of the cutting edge it is possible to shave to the very end of the blade. The blade can thus enter dimples, hollows, etc, to give a clean shave. This is impossible with razors wherein positioning lugs are located at the ends of the cutting edgeand such is the case in practically all safety razors now in use.

The razor of this invention is extremely convenient and permits of ready reversal of the blade when desired so that both edges of the blade may be successively used and the blade can be used with either face up. The blade isreadily inserted and more easily removed and a comfortable clean shave is insured at all times so long as the blade is in proper condition.

In Figures 6 and '7 I have shown another way of positioning the blade. I do not consider this way as good as the structure of the preceding figures, but it may be employed if desired. It provides for the elimination of the lugs I2 and uses in place thereof two lugs I5 which correspond to the lugs l but have an additional function. These lugs I5 have widened parts I6 adapted to coact with the opening in the blade to position the blade transversely and from this widened part I5 of each lug extends a tapering wedge-like fin i1 terminating in a knife-like edge adapted to engage the corresponding end of the blade opening. Such an arrangement will give approximate adjustmentbut cannot give used in this razor. possible by the fact that the blade is engaged by than the lugs I and the size must be accurately made to engage all openings with a fairly snug fit.

Itwill be noted that in Figures 1 and 2 the clamping plate has side flanges at its opposite ends which arecut away, as indicated at I9, so that blades of different length may be used in such manner that the longer blades will project through the cut away portion I9 and. in this manner all conventional double edged blades may be The cutting away I9 is made the flange I4 and does not rely upon the end flanges of the clamping plate for the gripping action whichholds the blade in place.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Asafety razor comprising a guard plate provided along its front longitudinal edge with a guard and near its rear longitudinal edge with at least one boss, said boss and guard serving to support a double edged blade otherwise free from contact with the guard plate, positioning, lugs mounted on the guard plate for positioning the blade both transversely and longitudinally with respect to the guard,and a clamping plate hinged to the guard plate at the opposite ends of the guardand adapted to be pivotallymoved to overlie the blade and provided with a locking member engaging the guard plate to lock the. clamping plate in closed position, said clamping plate being formed along its hinged edge with a flange adapted to bear against the blade between the,

guard and boss andtransversely flex the blade between its points of support when the clamping plate is in closed position.

2. A safety razor comprising a guard plate provided along its. front longitudinal edge with a guard and near its rear longitudinal edge with at least one boss, said boss and guard serving to support a double edged blade otherwise free from contact with the guard plate, positioning lugs mounted substantially medially of the guard plate and adapted to project through openings in the blade to hold the blade in proper cutting relation to the guard in a direction normal to its cutting edge, additional positioning lugs adjacent the rear edge of the guard plate and clamping'plate is in closed position.

3. A safety razor comprising a guard plate provided along its front longitudinal edge-with a .60 spaced apart to. closely receive the blade between guard and near its'rear longitudinal edge with at least one boss, said boss and guard serving to support a double edged blade otherwise free from contact with the guard plate, two positioning lugs mounted on the guard plate, said lugs having thickened portions adapted to extend through the blade opening in spaced relation to the ends of said opening, to snugly fit said opening and adjust the blade in a direction normal to its cutting edge, and said lugs having oppositely extending attenuated fins terminating in knifelike edges extending to and adapted for engagement with the opposite ends of the blade opening to adjust the blade longitudinally of its cutting edge, and a clamping plate hinged to the guard plate at the opposite ends of the guard and adapted to be pivotally moved to overlie the blade and provided with a locking member engaging the guard plate to lock the clamping plate in closed position, said clamping plate being formed along its hinged edge with a flange adapted to bear against the blade between the guard and boss and transversely flex the blade between its points of support when the clamping plate is in closed position. v

4. A safety razor comprising a guard plate provided along its front longitudinal edge with a guard and near its rear longitudinal edge with at least one boss, said boss and guard serving to support a double edged blade otherwise free from contact with the guard plate, two rectangular positioning lugs mounted on the guard plate and arranged diametrically with respect to the guard and of such size that they will fit snugly in two directions the blade openings of all conventional double edged blades, and a clamping plate hinged to the guard plate at the opposite ends of the guard and adapted to be pivotallymoved to overlie the blade and provided with a locking member engaging the guard plate to lock the clamping plate in closed position, said clamping plate being formed along its hinged edge with a flange adapted to bear against the blade between the guard and boss and transversely flex the blade between its points of support when the clamping plate is in closed position.

JOHN W. ASHWOR'I'H. 

